Take It To The Max
by Ali Avian
Summary: That was my motto. And I was definetly living by those words. The ride isn't over yet, not quite. *Sequel to NEVERMORE* Here's to the REAL ending.


I was flying again. God, it was so cool, so wonderful, so magnificent to fly here. I couldn't have imagined how it would feel. No one could, unless you did it yourself, and who could do it but us? The pleasure of free flight overrode all thought, all other bodily sensations. How could I resist the fluffy clouds, the high-pitched whistle of the wind, and the perfect, deep blue skies over our paradise? _Who could? _ Drifting calmly, effortlessly, I surveyed the cove below.

I focused my gaze on the eight people that mean the world to me. The eight people I could never live without. They sat by a roaring beach fire in the center of the deserted bay. I could almost smell the freshly caught fish roasting over the fire that was being prepared for lunch. Even from way up here, I could see Nudge's jabbering mouth blabbing about some matter to my mother. Gazzy lay face down along the sand- his long white wings stretched out. Angel sits beside him in the same position. Iggy is sitting on a piece of driftwood- relaxed with Ella's sleeping head on his shoulder. Dylan is smiling to himself while tossing sticks into the bonfire. Wait- I counted the heads of my family…number eight was missing.

As if on cue, I am air-glomped. Fang had tackled me from behind. Catching ourselves with smiles on our faces, I turn to Fang and gaze into his deep set eyes. "You know- you'd think I'd get used to that by now, right?"

Fang gives me one of his famous smirks. "It never gets old." He pulls me in for a long tender kiss. With his lips pressed against mine, I never want to let go. Wanting to continue this without the multitasking of flapping our wings, we both begin to decent toward the nearest Cliffside. There, I collapse to the ground, into the arms of my one true love. He strokes my hair and tucks it behind my ear. "Check it out," we pull away from each other and I sit crisscrossed on the ledge next to him as he pulls his laptop out from his case. After flipping the top up, the desktop is filled with images. Such positive images that warm my heart. "Looks like rebuilding is going along nicely, eh?"

I smile and scroll through the pictures. Flowers blooming up, children smiling, people working hard to fix the disasters. One picture in particular catches my attention: two boys carrying large pails of water toward a farmland. "Hey, isn't that-?"

"Yup, Ratchet and Starfish." Fang says completing my sentence. "Ever since they've found out internet connection still works, they've recently been e-mailing me. Sounds like they're doing a lot of volunteer work all across the mainland."

"We should pay them a visit this week." I reply. "But first- let's meet up with the others and have some lunch- I'm going to start mowing on my own arm." I unfurl my wings and Fang takes my hand, pulling me back for a second. He just looks at me with such a gentle expression that says everything by saying nothing at all. "I can't believe it's only been a year since the end of the world." I say. "And just look at all the progress people are making…it's the start of a new beginning. A brighter beginning."

"Because like you said, saving the world isn't up to one person. Everyone has to pull together to make big changes." Fang says. "I just can't believe we've been living here in paradise for a year and yet I still get so warm inside whenever I kiss you."

"I don't think that's ever going to die out." I respond, pressing my lips to mind for another quick kiss. "Now come on- I wasn't kidding, I'm seriously going to chew my arm if I don't get something to eat in the next minute." In sync, we dive off the Cliffside together and fly toward the cove to meet up with the rest of the flock.

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Okay. One: Don't stare at me like some crazed baboon. Well, sure you can't stare at me because this is simply a book. Book nine of the nine books I have written about my journey. So, two: let me explain if you are confused. Three: if you are a newbie here, I wish you the utmost luck following this story, 'cause I ain't explaining the past adventures. But- I highly recommend you check those out first before you continue on here.

Alright- so here goes.

It's been almost a full year in paradise. Almost a full year since the so-called apocalypse that was supposed to end life on Earth as we knew it. And I suppose in some ways, it had. But not nearly as much as expected. The end of the world is not over, not quite yet. People had…died. Lots of people; all over the world. What did you expect from an apocalypse? Raining jellybeans?

So there it is. An apocalypse had occurred. But the world wasn't over. In fact, the world was being reborn. For the first time people were finally coming together to rebuild our world in a clean, safe, hard-working way. Now, I don't believe in a utopia. I mean, nothing can ever be classified as perfect, right? But let me tell you this- maybe someday the world will be better than it had been before.

We- as in the mutants (plus few non-mutants) living here in paradise have made frequent trips back to the main land to help out and do what we can to rebuild society. But this paradise is our official home- there's no place else on Earth where I want to spend the rest of my life.

Of course- I'm sure you want to hear how the rest of the flock is doing?

Angel- it's so hard for me to say that she's eight now. My baby has grown up so much. I know this place makes her feel so happy and so safe. When's the last time we could ever say we felt safe? Nowhere but here. Altogether here. Safe and sound without the feeling that one of us could go missing or get hurt.

Gazzy- well, we can't call him the Gasman anymore. I'm telling you, his messed up digestive system? Pfft. It's like it never existed. Of course, he and Iggy are still their little pyro-selves and are always looking for things to make fireworks or explosives with.

Iggy- saying that Fang, Iggy and I are sixteen is actually really weird. Is it just me, or does it seem like there's a huge leap from being fifteen to being sixteen? Anyway, he's easily adjusted to paradise too. He knows the land inside and out. He and Ella- gosh those two were made for each other. They're like the dream couple, I swear.

Nudge- She's finally accepting of who she is. Sometimes I think back to when she was making a scrapbook of 'normal' girls. All these models that she wanted to be. It still gives me shudders. Nudge finally found the place where she could be her babbling self and be accepted.

Fang- Mmm. Fang. I think there's enough said there. All I know is he is never leaving me again. Never ever.

Dylan- The moment you've all been waiting for. Here's the question you're all wondering: _Is Dylan still in love with me?_ Drum-roll please. The answer is no. (insert gasp here.) There was a time when Dylan was 'programmed to love me'. But either the program died out or Dylan fought it himself. In fact, Dylan's got a new lover. A girl he met himself here on the island. A girl who truly loved him back. Remember back to what seemed like a decade ago when the flock was in New York City discovering the secret under-ground Institute? Remember how we rescued tons of mutants from dog crates and there was a girl about my age with long hair and pearly white wings? Well tada! She's here! Small world of mutants, right?

But no matter what, I will always love Dylan. I will always love all of my flock, forever and ever. The kind of love that I can't live without.

But Fang… I will always love him in the romance way. The kind of love that sends me butterflies just thinking about his lips against mine.

And nevermore will I have to live with such huge worries and burdens on my shoulders. The world is being rebuilt. No more evil exists, for now that is. But saving the world is never up to one person. We're all like the ripples of a sunken stone. We're the future, but we have to make it our own.


End file.
